Erdogan going to offer Baku to content itself with return of Kelbajar and Fizuli?

May 17, 2010 - 14:32 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - Ankara offers Baku to content itself with return of Kelbajar and Fizuli, a Turkish newspaper said.

According to Hurriyet, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will try to persuade Baku to agree to withdrawal of Armenian troops from these two regions and open the border with Armenia.

Talks are held on return of these two regions only, the newspaper quoted an informed source as saying.

“Ankara is trying to guarantee progress in the Karabakh process for ratification of Protocols on normalization of relations with Armenia. If the latter fails to demonstrate a constructive approach to the proposal, Turkey will freeze the dialogue for a long time,” the report says.

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out as result of the ethnic cleansing launched by the Azeri authorities in the final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from 1991 (when the Nagorno Karabakh Republic was proclaimed) to 1994 (when a ceasefire was sealed by Armenia, NKR and Azerbaijan). Most of Nagorno Karabakh and a security zone consisting of 7 regions are now under control of NKR defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group up till now.

The Armenian-Turkish Protocols

The Protocols aimed at normalization of bilateral ties and opening of the border between Armenia and Turkey were signed in Zurich by Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian and his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu on October 10, 2009, after a series of diplomatic talks held through Swiss mediation.

On January 12, 2010, the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Armenia found the protocols conformable to the country’s Organic Law.

Commenting on the CC ruling, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that “it contains preconditions and restrictive provisions which impair the letter and spirit of the Protocols.” ”The decision undermines the very reason for negotiating these Protocols as well as their fundamental objective. This approach cannot be accepted on our part. Turkey, in line with its accustomed allegiance to its international commitments, maintains its adherence to the primary provisions of these Protocols. We expect the same allegiance from the Armenian government,” the Ministry said.